This invention relates generally to a surface safety system for controlling fluid flow through a flowline of an oil or gas well, and more specifically, to a sensor base providing structural support for high and low pressure sensors or other components and communicating pressurized fluid flow from the main flowline to the respective pressure sensors.
The sensor base of the present invention is contemplated for use in safety systems which shut in well production lines ot other flowlines in the event of unduly high or low pressure conditions in the main flowline. The general configuration of this type of safety system is generally shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,987,817, assigned to the same assignee as the present application. Heretofore, the primary function of the sensor base was to provide a structural support or mount for the high and low pressure sensors. Such a use is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,996,965 to Peters, and assigned to the same assignee as the present application. However, in recent years, the oil and gas industries have constructed pipelines and other fluid flow handling structures having extremely high operating pressures (e.g. 15,000 psi and higher). The American Petroleum Institute has developed standards which typically require test and gauge connections subjected to main flowline pressure conditions of 15,000 psi or higher to include autoclave metal-to-metal connector assemblies. Therefore, the high and low pressure sensors presently used have male autoclave fittings at one end which are received within a female receptacle in the sensor base to provide a high pressure metal-to-metal connection. The problem associated with autoclave fittings is that they provide a high pressure metal-to-metal seal in only one position, when the male autoclave end solidly contacts the female autoclave receptacle. It is difficult, if not impossible, to accurately control the rotational orientation of the pressure sensor which is determined when the autoclave end of the pressure sensor sealingly contacts the autoclave receptacle of the sensor base. Ordinarily this would cause no problems, however, high and low pressure sensors usually have diametrically opposed inlet and outlet ports which require piping or conduits running between them or to other components of the safety system. Accordingly, it is desirable to have the inlet and outlet ports of the respective high and low pressure sensors line up with other or whose axes are all in the same plane. The prior art devices do not have the capability to line up the inlet and outlet ports of high and low pressure sensors having autoclave connector assemblies, thereby, creating difficult and costly piping arrangements to connect together the various components of the safety system. Furthermore, such a piping arrangement can be of unsightly appearance and confusing to maintenance and operating personnel, thereby, creating a dangerous operating condition.